CSK to retain core group of Dhoni, Raina, Jadeja, no clarity on R Ashwin

We have not yet submitted our retention list but it goes without saying that Dhoni and Raina are all but retained: IPL official

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The Chennai Super Kings are all set to retain their core group including skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Suresh Raina and Ravindra Jadeja for the upcoming 11th edition of IPL.

However senior off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin's chances of being picked through 'Right To Match' card looks bleak.

"We have not yet submitted our retention list but it goes without saying that Dhoni and Raina are all but retained. The third retention in all likelihood will be Ravindra Jadeja," an IPL official, who is aware about CSK's team strategy told PTI today.

The official also informed that CSK management is still undecided on whether to to go for their former player Ravichandran Ashwin, who is no longer in the Indian team management's radar as far as limited overs cricket is concerned.

Ashwin has not played a T20 for over a year now and it remains to be seen if the franchise is ready to invest on a player, who is no longer a force to reckon with in the shortest format of the game.

The only thing that might allow CSK to bid and go for the Right To Match (RTM) is his local connect being the most successful international cricketer to come out of Tamil Nadu.

The emergence of young all-rounder M S Washington Sundar, as a potent off-spinner during the IPL 2017 has also made Ashwin's comeback chances in CSK fold bleak.

West Indies' Dwayne Bravo is one foreign player, who can be expected to be bouught through RTM card. The other foreign players, who are in fray are Faf du Plessis and Brendon McCullum.

The IPL Governing Council had announced that a franchise could retain up to five players by virtue of a combination of player retention (pre-player auction) and right to match (RTM) (during the player auction).

The sources said the franchise would send the list of retained players soon with the cut-off date for forwarding the wish-list is January 4, 2018.